LOS ANGELES : Foes of Tax Increase Miss Ballot Argument Deadline

Because of foul-ups in the office of Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson, the city’s anti-tax forces may have lost a golden opportunity to speak out against the proposed tax hike plan on the April 20 ballot.

The problem occurred when Bernson’s office failed to meet a 5 p.m. Monday deadline for submitting written arguments against a measure that would raise property taxes to pay for 1,000 more police officers.

“We goofed,” said Greig Smith, Bernson’s chief deputy. “But the city clerk’s office didn’t really warn us that we were nearing the deadline either.” A change of staff assignments, an illness and finally a game of phone tag accounted for the mix-up, Smith said.

The error means that tax opponents will not be able to publish a 300-word argument in information pamphlets mailed before the election to the city’s 1.9 million registered voters. Bernson may submit a 150-word rebuttal to pro-tax arguments. He plans to sue the city clerk to place the full argument in the voting pamphlet.